Iowa Highway Commission: Iowa Time Machine February 16, 1916

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 16, 1916, Governor George W. Clarke signed a bill formally accepting federal funds for Iowa road construction. The roads that now carry millions of Iowans safely to their destinations each year stand as monuments to movements that reshaped how Iowans moved during the early 20th century.

The Progressive Era witnessed a national awakening to the "good roads" problem. When automobiles began appearing on American roads in the early 1900s, they encountered transportation infrastructure designed for horses and wagons. In 1904, less than 2 percent of public roads in Iowa had been improved with gravel or broken stone. Dry weather made dirt roads passable; rain transformed them into impassable quagmires.

On April 13, 1904, the Iowa General Assembly and Governor A.B. Cummins approved legislation creating the Iowa State Highway Commission as part of Iowa State College in Ames. Engineering dean Anson Marston led the effort with a modest $7,000 biennial budget. The commission's mission focused on studying road problems and advising county supervisors. In 1913, the commission separated from the college and gained control over all county and township road officials. The 1916 Federal Aid Road Act brought crucial funding, allocating $146,000 annually to Iowa for road construction. This federal support accelerated Iowa's transition from mud to pavement. The 1910s and 1920s marked rapid highway development across Iowa. The first section of hard roads built with federal money connected Mason City and Clear Lake, completed in 1918. Tourist routes proliferated during this period, with over 100 registered routes crisscrossing the state by the mid-1920s.

The Lincoln Highway, America's first transcontinental road, became the most famous route through Iowa. Counties competed for road funding while farmers resisted higher taxes to pay for improvements they often didn't want. The Primary Road Act of 1927 reorganized Iowa's system into primary and secondary routes, establishing clearer maintenance responsibilities. By the end of 1931, the network was complete, and the Highway Commission proudly announced that Iowa was no longer a mud-road state. #Iowa #OTD #History #Roads #Transportation